Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 106: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide a breakdown of the total fees received in his Department for freedom of information requests and the number of individual requests in each of the years 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. [12727/12]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 107: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide a breakdown of the number of freedom of information requests submitted in the years 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 to his Department; the total amount of fees charged and fees received in each year; the number and amount of initial search fees paid and the number and amount of search and retrieval fees paid. [12743/12]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 106 and 107 together.

Below in tabular format is a statistical breakdown of the Freedom of Information Requests processed by my Department since 2002 and the fees associated with such requests. Fees in respect of requests for access to non-personal information and requests for internal review were introduced in July 2003, in accordance with the Freedom of Information (Amendment) Act 2003.

My Department makes every effort to work with requesters to reduce the cost of Search & Retrieval fees, which are generally incurred where the request ranges over a large volume of records or a significant time period. Less than 10 per cent of all requests did not proceed where Search and Retrieval fees were sought. It is the policy of my Department to make all requests and replies made under the Freedom of Information Act, which are not of a personal nature, publicly available. The Freedom of Information Requests Database is available on the website of my Department (www.dfa.ie) and contains copies of the non-personal requests made since April 2004.